Yield

Same yield on average

Studies carried out over twenty years in Germany and France show that on average the yield in direct seeding has remained the same as with traditional farming. In Finland the result has been confirmed by a survey of farmers carried out by the TTS Institute. In addition, the many users of the VM Real Direct Seeding Drill fully agree.

A prerequisite for equal yield is that the basics of the field, such as the water management and acidity, are in order. The ditches must be operational and the field surface must be shaped so that water is not deposited in depressions. The transition to direct seeding requires that the structure of the soil is good and the field is not too compacted after the previous growing season. In the beginning of the transition period it may be useful to minimally till the soil surface. Usually, when the yield is good, a stubble with good load-bearing capacity and root mass is created on the field surface. After that it will not be necessary to till the field.

As the field is no longer ploughed or tilled, it is essential to kill the perennial weeds. If the perennial weeds are allowed to grow rank, they directly affect the yield. It is easy to keep the weeds under control using modern herbicides and, as the seed bank becomes exhausted, the control measures can be reduced.See weeds.

According to crop studies by MTT, the same yields have been achieved under favourable conditions with direct seeding as with traditional farming methods. It is noteworthy that the studies were made during the transition period, which involved a lot of learning about the new method. In tests, the yield has been reduced by seeding too late or too deep. Rain has also delayed the test seeding.